Joey Gilmore Helps Promote Literacy With Blues Music

Tonight, the Jan Moran Collier City Learning Library will be hosting its second-annual The Birth of an American Sound: The Blues. Starring Joey "The Blues Man" Gilmore, the event is centered on fundraising for literacy programs and services. Gilmore noted of the month and his chosen genre, "Blues music is relevant to Black History Month because blues music is our heritage."

These literacy programs are provided by the library and include teaching illiterate individuals how to study for a GED, job skills such as typing and computer classes, and, of course, how to read.

Gilmore says, "The more people learn, the more you earn, and the quality of life improves for everyone. Raising funds for literacy is important because there are many people who simply cannot afford extra funds outside of just plain living expenses." And that's more people in the community than you'd think.

The Birth of an American Sound: The Blues is sponsored by the Friends of the Northwest Regional Library, the Friends of the Jan Moran Collier City Learning Library, and the Florida Literacy Coalition in affiliation with Southwest Airlines. If you want to enjoy some blues and give to a truly worthy cause, either buy the $15 ticket, which includes the show, a soul-food dinner, and raffle entry for two round-trip tickets to anywhere Southwest Airlines flies, or a $10 raffle ticket.

To the Friends of the Jan Moran Collier City Learning Library, Gilmore said, "Continue to do the good job you are doing. I am honored to have been chosen a second time to provide the entertainment for this wonderful event."

Friends of the Jan Moran Collier City Learning Library is looking for volunteers. To learn more, visit Facebook.

The Birth of an American Sound: The Blues, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. today at Jan Moran Collier City Learning Library, 2800 NW Ninth Court, Pompano Beach. To purchase tickets, visit BluesConcert.Eventbrite.com.